Sort to check for any foreign material, then soak the beans for 5 or more hours.

Drain and rinse the beans.

Heat a 4 quart or larger pot.

Add the oil.

2ndAdd the 2nd ingredients. Stir and cook on medium high, until the garlic just begins to brown.

Add the beans and then the water, in that order to keep from being splattered when the water hits the hot oil.

When the beans are boiling turn the heat down to a low boil (1 to 2 on my electric stove). You want to be able to cover the pot and not have it boil over.

Add the 4th ingredients and stir.

After about an hour check to see if the beans are soft. If so add the 5th ingredients. At this point you can turn the heat down to very low. If they are as soft as you want them turn them off and let the pot stay on the hot surface for at least 15 minutes. The seaweed doesn't need to cook, just soften.

The beans take about 1 hour too cook unless you add something salty, like the seaweed or soy sauce, or something acidic like tomatoes or vinegar. Then it takes forever!!! I've tried it.

Anything I cook I minimize the amount of water. A lot of nutrients leach out into the water. This is only OK if you drink the it. With the amount of beans in this recipe I can get by with 3 1/2 cups of water for cooking. I suggest 4 until you are more used to cooking these beans. If you get too low in water too soon you not only run the risk of burning the beans but also greatly extending the cooking time, even though you add more water.

Cooking time varies depending on the freshness of the beans, temperature, amount of water from the start, and size of the beans. Some chickpeas are twice as large as others and I assume that affects the cooking time.